Friday 9/6 – Thursday 9/12
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7 SATURDAY Former graffiti artist and Aerosoul Crew cofounder Carlos “Dzine” Rolon divides his time between Chicago and Paris these days and says his current work “is inspired by the free-form style of music and how a DJ or producer adds layer upon layer to create their sound.” In his new large-scale wall installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Dzine uses 10 to 15 layers of paint to “send out strong vibes mixed with sexual undertones designed to seduce the viewer.” Today’s free opening reception starts at 4 and will feature music by Paris-based DJ and curator Jerome Sans. On Tuesday, September 10, Dzine and Illinois State University Galleries director Barry Blinderman will discuss parallels between graffiti and mural art and electronic music. The discussion starts at 6 in the theater of the MCA, 220 E. Chicago (312-397-4010); admission is free.
Better Existence With HIV (BEHIV) had exactly one paid employee when it opened in an Evanston church basement 13 years ago. Last winter the AIDS services organization moved to aboveground digs on Ridge Avenue, and these days 21 staffers and 230 volunteers serve 400 HIV-positive people each year and do educational outreach to an additional 35,000. Proceeds from tonight’s performance of Stephen Rader’s new play, 20–based on 20 questions he asked a variety of Chicago gay men–will benefit BEHIV. The reception starts at 6 at Bailiwick Repertory, 1229 W. Belmont; the performance will be followed by a discussion and dessert reception at the High Risk Gallery, 1113 W. Belmont. Tickets are $35; call 847-475-2115.
12 THURSDAY Before Ronald Reagan nominated him to the federal bench in 1987, Judge James Zagel worked as a lawyer and served as chief of the Illinois state police. He drew on his law enforcement experiences for his debut novel, Money to Burn–a thriller about a federal judge whose disillusionment with the system prompts him to engineer a heist of Chicago’s Federal Reserve Bank (he has help from a firefighter buddy who torches buildings in his spare time). Zagel, who fictionalized the layout of the bank to throw off would-be copycats, will read from his book tonight at 5:30 on the seventh floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State (312-747-4080).
